The Story of How Two Band Mates Fell In Love
by Theatersingergurl12345
Summary: The summary is too long :/ Look in the first chapter and it'll be there :)
1. Chapter 1

**Heey guys! Well this is a new story! :) It's gonna be about ****_Rydellington!_**** And I found out today that my 2 FAVORITE writers have seen my stories! They are XFeelXTheXLoveX and Rosslynchdramaseeker! If you haven't seen their stories, CHECK THEM OUT! They're AMAZING! :D Anyway, the summary is too long so I'm gonna post it here...**

**Summary: R5 has been struggling to make it big in the music business since 2009 when they formed their band after meeting their "additional brother" Ellington Ratliff. They finally made it big when they got signed to Hollywood Records! Now, they're living their dreams! They just finished their "LOUD" tour a month ago. So they thought, anyway. Ross was told that he had to go to London, and Paris to promote "Teen Beach Movie" by himself since Maia is filming "The Fosters" and they all decided to do an extended "LOUD" tour by booking some gigs where Ross was to promote "Teen Beach Movie". While in London doing a meet & greet, a fan asked a question about the romantic ship called ****_Rosslington._**** Riker, Rocky and Ryland were all laughing their asses off as soon as the question was asked. Ross and Ratliff were just completely stunned and Rydel.. Well.. Lets just say, it made her.. Open her eyes about some feelings that she had no idea were there..**

**I know.. Long ass summary.. But I swear, it'll be AWESOME!**

**So, enough blabbering on, here's the story...**

R5 has now become famous WORLDWIDE! Their EP is HUGE on iTunes and fans EVERYWHERE are going crazy for R5! The gang was currently in a hotel. They had a double room. Stormie, Mark, Riker and Rocky in one room, and Ross, Ryland, Ratliff and Rydel to another.

In Stormie and Mark's room, Riker was looking in the mirror that was hanging on the wall so he could adjust his white tie to pull his outfit together. The color scheme for this show was pink. Riker was wearing a short-sleeved, pink, button down shirt that showed off his muscles perfectly. He also had on white, ripped skinny jeans that fit perfectly. He had a black belt clipped around his waist and his black converse.

Rocky was adjust his shirt that he had just put on. He was wearing a pink, short-sleeved muscle shirt with a black vest over it. He was also wearing white, ripped skinny jeans but he was wearing a green belt instead of black. He was also wearing black sneakers. Stormie and Mark were down where the gig is going to be taking place getting everything ready.

In Ryland and Ross's room, Ross was sliding on his pink muscle shirt. He, like the rest of his siblings, was also wearing white, ripped skinny jeans but was wearing a bright pink belt and matching pink converse. To complement his outfit, he slid on a white beanie hat.

Ratliff was just sitting on he and Rydel's bed, looking through his Instagram news feed on his cell phone. Ratliff was wearing a pink, v-neck t-shirt and, unlike the rest of the guys, was wearing ripped blue jeans and a black belt. He was also wearing black converse.

Ryland was also with Mark and Stormie. He wants to blend in with the backstage crew so he was wearing a black hoodie with a white muscle shirt on underneath it. He also had black jeans and black converse sneakers. To top it all off, he had on a black R5 hat.

Rydel was in the bathroom, just finishing her hair. She's wearing a grey dress with pink on the bottom. The pink was basically a mini tutu. She had on grey socks that were a little bit higher than her black boots with a sparkly, silver fabric on the sides of them that she was also wearing. She had on a black, sleeveless jacket with lots of silver zippers and buttons on it. She also had on black, leather gloves with shiny buttons on them and sparkly charm bracelets on her right wrist. She was wearing pink eye shadow with pink, glittery eye-liner and a rosy, red shade of blush topped off with a pale, pink shade of lipstick. She had just finished curling her hair, which she rarely does.

Rydel cleaned up her make-up and put it all back into her make-up case. She un-plugged her curling iron and let it cool off on the counter of the sink. She left the bathroom holding her pink, make-up case. "Hey guys." She said to Ross and Ratliff. Ross and Ratliff were both too busy on their phones checking their Twitter accounts to even acknowledge that Rydel was talking to them. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Boys." She said annoyed as she shook her head.

She set her make-up bag next to Ratliff on their bed. Rydel's phone then chimed. She pulled it out of her right boot and saw she got a text from Stormie that said "Hey sweetie. Get the guys down to the venue! -Mom" Rydel replied saying she was on it. She slid her phone back into her boot and went to the door that goes into Riker and Rocky's room. "Guys, come on! Mom wants us to go to the venue!" Rydel called. She shut the door and turned to Ross and Ratliff. "Guys! Get off your phones, we're gonna be leaving in a sec." Rydel said.

"Ugh! Okay, mom!" Ross and Ratliff groaned in unison before locking their phones and sliding them into their pockets. Riker and Rocky opened the door that leads to their room and came in. "Ready." Rocky and Riker said in unison. "Lets go." Rydel said. Ross and Ratliff stood up and the boys followed Rydel out of the hotel and drove to the venue.

**===20 minutes later===**

Rydel, Ratliff, Ross, Riker and Rocky came out of the car and walked into the venue to be greeted by Stormie. "There you guys are!" She exclaimed, relieved. "C'mon, you guys gotta get ready for the V.I.P. Meet & Greet!" Stormie continued before grabbing Rydel and Ross by the hand and dragging them off with Riker, Rocky and Ratliff following.

**===45 minutes later===**

The place was already half full! And that was just the V.I.P.'s.. Ryland got a message through his ear piece to get the band onstage for the questions. Ryland replied through his microphone. "Roger." He said before searching for the guys. 10 minutes went by and he finally found Ross. "Ross!" He exclaimed scaring Ross and causing him to drop his water bottle and having it pour out onto the floor. "Man!" Ross groaned. He looked up at Ryland. "What's up, bro?" He asked. "Get the others, you guys need to go out onstage for the questions!" Ryland yelled nervously. "On it." Ross said before walking to the greenroom and grabbing another water.

He turned to the others. "Guys!" He yelled, breaking up their conversations. "We need to go onstage for the questions!" Ross said. The others stood up and they all left the greenroom to go onstage.

**===20 minutes later===**

Well the fans have asked probably over 100 questions. "Okay.. This is the last question we're going to answer. Rocky, you can pick the person." Riker said. "Okay.." Rocky said before beginning to scan the crowd of fans raising their hands. "You." He said pointing to a little blonde girl.

She stood up and Ryland handed her a microphone so the band could hear her. "So.. Is_ Rosslington_ gonna happen?" She asked hopefully. Ross cocked his head to the side confused. "Huh?" He asked. "Erm.. What's Rosslington?" Riker asked, just as baffled as Ross was about the definition of Rosslington. "Ya know.. Rosslington! The romantic shipment of Ross and Ratliff." The girl explained.

Ross and Ratliff were just speechless. Their mouths dropped so far that if this were a cartoon, it'd be the closest thing to their mouths touching the floor. Riker's eyes went wide and screamed "OHHHHHHH!" before falling to his knees laughing. By the time Riker's knees hit the floor, Rocky was already rolling around the stage laughing. Ryland was laughing just as hard as Riker and Rocky. He went up to the little girl and said "You are my new best friend! That was the BEST question EVER!" The little girl smiled at him confused and Ryland gave her a high-five.

Now as for Rydel, she didn't find this the least bit funny. She looked as if she was a hungry jaguar and that girl was a deer that was about to loose it's head. Minutes passed and Riker managed to collect himself. He slowly went back on his feet and went to the mic stand. "Were you just kidding or were you serious?" Riker asked. Rocky and Ryland managed to stop laughing also so they could hear what the girl was about to say.

"I was being serious.." The girl said. Riker, Rocky and Ryland burst out laughing again. But this time, even _harder._ Ross and Ratliff were even more shocked now. Sure, they are best friends but they were most **CERTAINLY**, not _gay!_

Rydel was even angrier at this point. Her face was turning a bright red. Ross was the only one to notice but couldn't do anything because he was in that big of a state of shock. Mark cut off the laughter and said through a mic "Alright, picture time!"

Riker, Ryland and Rocky managed to stop laughing. Ross and Ratliff then jolted back to reality. They still couldn't believe that people actually shipped Ross and Ratliff together..

Rydel, however, still had that 'predator about to pounce on its prey' look on her face. Ross, now able to move went up to Rydel. "Rydel, you okay?" He whispered in her ear. Rydel jolted back to reality. "Hmm? Yeah.. I'm fine." Rydel lied as she became aware of what is happening. Ross, believing her nodded. "Okay." He said. "It's picture time." He told her. They both joined the pose and Rydel was on the end, far away from Ross and Ratliff.

_That girl is lucky I didn't flip my shit on her!_ Rydel thought. _But.. Why am I so pissed off?_ She thought after. She shook off those weird thoughts and just continued the meet & greet and the concert.

**===3 hours later===**

The concert had ended 15 minutes ago and the gang was just unwinding. They had just gotten their ear pieces off and they were all in the greenroom. The boys, minus Ryland were playing "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2" on the X-Box 360. They were playing on the mode where they team up and kill a bunch of zombies. They were currently on level 20. "Shit! Ross, there are 5 zombies behind you!" Rocky yelled. Ross turned his guy around and shot them with his ray gun and they died in 1 shot. "Guys! We got the insta-kill! Stab them all!" Ross yelled. The guys cheered and started stabbing the zombies.

Rydel, who was still feeling odd about the whole_ Rosslington_ deal, hadn't talked to anyone since the show ended. Ryland was sitting next to her noticed her facial expression. "Rydel, you good?" Ryland asked concerned. Rydel lost her train of thought and looked over at him. "Y-Yeah.. I'm fine." Rydel lied. Ross, who was currently down in the game went over to Rydel and Ryland and saw Ryland ask Rydel if she was okay. "You sure?" He asked.

Rydel, now a little annoyed replied "Yes! I'm fine!" Ratliff, who had just gotten down in the game went over to them and took a close look at Rydel. "Delly, you look a little flushed. Are you feeling alright?" Ratliff asked concerned. Rydel, now fully annoyed stood up and yelled "I'M FINE, OKAY?!" Before storming out of the room in anger. Rocky and Riker lost at the game when Ratliff walked over to Ross, Ryland and Rydel and decided to glance over at the conversation. Their eyes went wide when they saw their baby/big sister storm out of the room.

Mark and Stormie's eyes also went wide when they saw Rydel storm off. "Guys, lets head home." Mark said. They all nodded before standing up. Rocky put all the controllers back where they found them and shut it off. They all piled into the car and drove off in search for Rydel.

Rydel was on a bus back to the hotel. She just wanted to be alone..

**So.. How do you guys like it? :) Please review this story, along with my other stories :)**


	2. Rydel's Feelings Are Revealed

**Heey guys! :) I know I wasn't exact on the whole Rosslington part but I wasn't in London when it happened because I live in the US.. I actually found out that happened when I was reading XFeelXTheXLoveX's bio when I was gonna read one of her stories.. So yeah.. I think I'm the only person who didn't do anything special for the 4th of July.. I didn't go to a cookout or go see fireworks.. I actually didn't leave my house at all.. Lol.. Anyway, I'll shut up now.. Enjoy the story! :)**

**===1 hour later===**

Ross, Ratliff, Riker, Rocky, Ryland, Stormie and Mark were all still looking around the dark London streets in search of Rydel but there was still no sign of her. It was now 10:30 PM.

"Mom, I'm tired. Can we go back to the hotel?" Ross asked before yawning. "No! Not until we find your sister!" Stormie yelled. She was near tears because she was worried sick about her only daughter. Ratliff hasn't said a word since he got into the car. He was just thinking about where Rydel could have gone. She doesn't know where anything is in London so she couldn't have gone far.

It then hit him like a ton of bricks. "I think I know where Rydel is.." Ratliff said. All eyes were on him except for Mark who was driving but he was all ears for what Ratliff had to say. "WHERE?!" They all shouted in unison looking at Ratliff. "I think she might have gone back to me, Ross and Ryland's room." He suggested.

Mark turned the car around and started driving to the hotel, thinking Ratliff might be onto something..

**===15 minutes later===**

Ratliff's hunch was right! Rydel has been back at the hotel for an hour now. She was worried that her family hasn't barged in asking a bunch of questions about why she left and what's bothering her, but she didn't call because she wanted to be alone. She was now in a black tank top and pink sweatpants and she was sitting on the couch. She had taken all her make-up off. She put her hair up in a sock-bun. She was checking the OfficialR5 Instagram and posting pics from the show.

Just then, the gang burst into the room and found Rydel. "Rydel!" They all cheered happily. She jolted up and saw them all running in. _God damn it, why can't they just leave me ALONE?!_ she thought. "Rydel, we were worried _sick_ about you!" Ratliff said nervously. Rydel's heart skipped a beat when he said that. _He was worried about me?_ she thought to herself.

_Wait, why should I care this much if he was worried? _She thought. "Rydel.." Riker started before sitting next to her on the couch. He turned her head gently so she was looking him in the eye. "Please tell us what's wrong.. We're your family and we wanna help you." Riker said softly and caringly.

Rydel looked around and saw her family's sad looks. She knew that even though they were all silent, a billion questions were bottled up inside of them just waiting to burst out at her. She felt like she was being pressured. She knew they were all keeping their mouths shut so they wouldn't make her feel worse but knowing they're keeping their feelings in made her feel worse than if they were all screaming these questions at her.

Rydel stood up. "Please, can I just be _ALONE?!_" She spat as she made her way through the group. As soon as the word _alone_ was said, everyone just froze at her. Rydel just wanted space. She slid on a pair of her flats that were sitting around and left, slamming the door shut behind her.

The gang was silent. Not a normal silence, either. A haunting silence that was full of tension. After about a minute of silence, Stormie couldn't hold it in anymore and tears began falling from her eyes down to her cheeks. Mark pulled his wife into a caring hug. "W-W-Why w-won't she t-tell us w-what's wrong?" Stormie sobbed into Mark's chest. "I don't know.." He whispered. Mark wasn't crying. He knew that if the kids saw both of their parents cry, they'd know this was a bigger deal than they had thought. But Mark's heart was slowly shattering on the inside. His little girl has gone on mute with him.

When Stormie started crying into Mark's chest, Ross's heart broke. He sat next to Riker on the couch and buried his face into his hands and started crying. He didn't care if it were embarrassing that he was crying. His big sister is hurting and she won't tell him why. That thought tore his heart to shreds.

Ratliff sat on the other side of Riker and felt a few tears fall. He wiped them away but they'd immediately be replaced with more tears than what he'd wipe away. Soon, he was sobbing.

Riker was comforting the two crying boys that were on both sides of him. He was just like Mark when it came to crying. Sure, tears would fall from his eyes when he would laugh really hard but that was the only time you'd really see Riker "cry". If Riker ever cried of sadness, he'd make sure he was home alone and lock his door shut. Which only had happened maybe once or twice.

Ryland was standing in between Stormie and Rocky. Before long, Ryland was sobbing too. He just always wanted to make sure all of his siblings were fine. But if one wasn't, he felt like he failed as a brother. Rocky pulled his youngest brother into a hug and just let him cry. Rocky was the other member of the family who you'd never see cry. The family has probably seen him cry once.

Rocky and Riker looked at each other with the saddest expressions you'd ever seen before. Just because they weren't crying, doesn't mean their hearts weren't shattering like the others.

Rydel had gone to the dining room and gotten herself supper since the only thing she had at the venue was a banana. She had gotten herself some chicken fingers and french fries. She squirted some ketchup on her plate from the bottle. She picked up a grape soda and went to a small table in the corner of the room. She just wanted to be alone. She felt that if she was in the corner of the room, she was away from the world, and away from the stress.

She barely touched her food and she had been sitting there for an hour. She didn't wanna go back to her room because she knew that the gang was still there. She heard someone walk in but she's been hearing that for the last hour. She saw a figure approaching her slowly but didn't wanna look up.

"Rydel, there you are!" the voice exclaimed before sitting across from her. She looked up to find Ross sitting across from her. "Hey.." She said sadly before looking back down at her cold food.

Something clicked in her mind. Ross's eyes were a bloodshot red. She looked back up at Ross to not only see his eyes, but see tear stains on his cheeks. She knew that this was because of her. "Ross, did I make you cry?" She asked. Ross knew this would only hurt her more so he lied by shaking his head no. Rydel know her brother like a book and could tell he was lying. "You're lying." she said before looking down.

Ross got up and slid into the seat next to her and pulled his big sister into a hug. "I just didn't wanna stress you out more." He whispered in her ear. He gently rubbed her back to calm her down. Rydel didn't know why but she felt that a hug made her feel better.

After a minute of hugging, Ross slowly pulled away and looked at Rydel. "I'm only gonna ask once because I don't wanna stress you out. Are you okay?" Ross asked. Rydel was silent for a minute. "You know, forget I a-" He started. "No." She said cutting him off. He looked at her. "You're not okay?" He asked, making sure that was the reason that she said no. She nodded.

"What's the matter?" He asked concerned. Rydel sighed. "Remember when that girl asked about Rosslington?" She asked. "How can I forget? That was the most awkward q-" He started. Something clicked in his mind. That was when Rydel had that look on her face that she was gonna maul the girl. His eyes went wide. "Does this have something to do with the Rosslington situation?" He asked. Rydel nodded.

"Ever since she asked that question, something wasn't sitting right with me.." She admitted. Ross mulled over everything she's told him. His eyes went wide. "Wait, did you ever feel something when you were with Ratliff?" Ross asked. "Well when he told me he was worried sick about me.. I felt like he cared even more than I had ever felt." She said. Ross then knew what was going on. "I think I know what's wrong.." Ross said. Rydel's eyes went wide. She wanted to know what's wrong with her. "What is it?" She asked nervously.

"I think you're developing feelings for Ratliff.." Ross said. Rydel just wanted to laugh right then and there. "Me? Like _Ratliff?!_" She asked before bursting out laughing. Ross just sat there in silence. He knew that there were feelings deep down inside of her that wanted to break free.

Rydel calmed down and looked at Ross. "Why aren't you laughing?" She asked. Her eyes went wide. "Wait, you were _SERIOUS?!_" she asked in complete shock. Ross nodded. "I couldn't _POSSIBLY_ like Ratliff!" Rydel shouted. Ross knew he was making her feel worse so he started to cover up what he said. "You know, maybe I'm wrong.. You know what? I'm _totally_ wrong!" He lied, trying to make his sister feel better.

Rydel calmed down a bit, believing Ross's lie. "Lets go back to the room. They're closing up." Ross said. Rydel nodded and they both stood up. Rydel threw her trash away and they both walked back to the hotel room.

They made it back within 5 minutes and saw that Ratliff and Ryland were still awake. When Ratliff saw Rydel walk through the door, he jolted up. "Rydel!" He exclaimed as he ran to her, attacking her with an embrace. Rydel felt something different when he hugged her. Sure they've hugged before but this one felt.. Different. Rydel pulled away quickly. Ratliff felt awkward after she pulled away. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Sorry." He mumbled. "It's fine." Rydel mumbled.

There was an awkward silence. After what seemed like forever, Ryland broke it. "Lets all just go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." He said. They all nodded. Ross slid off his shoes and his jeans and threw on a pair of sweatpants and climbed into bed. Ryland took off his hoodie, his hat and his jeans and put on his sweatpants and climbed into Ross's bed. Ross put the covers over them.

Ratliff changed out of his jeans and into sweatpants. He yawned before laying down and covering himself with the covers. Rydel slid off her flats and laid down on the small couch. Ratliff was almost asleep but never felt Rydel lay down next to him. He sat up and saw Rydel lay down on the couch. "You gonna come lay down in bed?" Ratliff asked softly. Rydel sat up and shook her head. He frowned a bit.

Before long, he heard Rydel let out a small snore. He slowly and quietly got out of bed and tip toed over to Rydel, not daring to wake Ryland or Ross. What he didn't know is that Ross still hadn't fallen asleep yet and heard Ratliff's footsteps. He sat up and saw Ratliff go over to the chair next to the couch and picked up the fuzzy blanket. Ratliff then walked over to a sleeping Rydel and covered her in the soft blanket. "Sleep tight, Rydel." Ratliff whispered. Ross's lips curved into a small smile, now knowing that not only Rydel is developing feeling to Ratliff, but Ratliff is starting to to return those feelings to her.

Ross slowly laid back down and fell asleep after he saw Ratliff cover Rydel. Ratliff turned around and tip toed back to he and Rydel's bed, or, what _was_ he and Rydel's bed and laid down. He tossed and turned but sleep never came to him. Just as he was about to give up trying, he finally found sleep around 2 AM.

An hour after Ratliff had fallen asleep, Rydel began dreaming.

Her dream took place on Venus Beach at night. Rydel was walking on the shore, hand-in-hand with her beloved boyfriend. "I've never been so happy in my entire life!" Dream Rydel squealed. Her boyfriend turned his head to face her. "Me either." Dream Ratliff said. "I love you." Dream Ratliff said as he pulled her close. "I love you too." Dream Rydel said. They sealed their love, with a passionate kiss.

As their lips connected, Rydel jolted awake from her dream and gasped. Her dreams finally answered her mixed feelings..

"Oh my God.. I.. Like Ratliff!" Rydel gasped.

**Dun dun DUNNNNNNNNNNNNN! Leaving you at a cliff hanger! :) Tehehehe! You all probably wanna kill me, right? Yeah.. Stay tuned! And I wanna hear what you guys have to say! Please review! :D**


	3. Ratliff's Feelings

**I'm just gonna get right into it.. :)**

"Oh my God.. I.. Like Ratliff!" Rydel gasped.

After nearly 5 years, Rydel has just _now_ developed feelings toward Ratliff. She was in total shock. She jolted back to reality when she heard a faint groan. Her eyes went wide. She knows that voice. It could only belong to one person..

Ratliff..

Rydel laid down as fast as she could and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. Ratliff's eyes slowly managed to open and he sat up. "Rydel?" He mumbled as he rubbed the sleep crust out of his eyes. "Did you call me?" He mumbled. There was no response. He slowly stood up and stumbled over to the couch. He bent down and saw that Rydel was asleep. What he was unaware of, was that Rydel was actually awake and pretending to be asleep.

Ratliff sighed. "Rydel, why won't you tell me what's wrong?" He whispered. "I wanna help you." After he said that, he pulled the blanket up a little higher so Rydel was completely warm. He stood up slowly and quietly made his way back to his bed and laid down. Before long, he and Rydel both found sleep yet again.

Even though Rydel was asleep, the thought of her crushing on Ratliff still played through her mind. _How am I gonna hide the fact I'm falling in love with a band mate?_ she thought.

**===5 hours later===**

It was now 8 AM. The Lynch's were slowly starting to wake up. In Stormie and Mark's room, Rocky was the first one up and in Rydel and Ratliff's room, surprisingly, Ross was the first one up. No.. Seriously. Ross was even up before Rocky! But only by about 5 minutes. Within 10 minutes after Rocky had woken up, everyone was up in both rooms except for Rydel. Everyone was just hanging out in Ratliff and Rydel's room.

"Guys, why hasn't Rydel woken up yet?" Ratliff asked nervously. "She's usually one of the first ones up.." "Ratliff, she probably just didn't sleep well last night." Ross suggested to calm Ratilff down. Ratliff exhaled calmly. "You're probably right.." Ratliff said, mostly to make himself feel calmer. "But we should wake her up.." Stormie chimed in. "We need to get back to L.A." Ross nodded. He stood up from he and Ryland's bed and tip toed over to Rydel. Ratliff followed him and they both bent down at Rydel's side.

Rydel was asleep on her side and she was facing the gang, so they all saw her sleeping face. Ratliff knelt closest to her head. Ross gently put his hand on Rydel's waist and started gently shaking her. "Rydel." Ross said softly. "Rydel, wake up." Ratliff chimed in. Rydel let out a small groan. Ratliff could see her eyelids starting to rise. "Rydel." Ratliff said one last time.

Rydel's eyes slowly fluttered open. Since Ratliff was the closest to her head, he was the first person she saw. _Great.. Now I have to bottle up my feelings.._ Rydel thought. "Mmmm.. What time is it?" Rydel asked sleepily as she rubbed her eyes. Ross took a glance at his analog wrist watch and then looked back up at Rydel. "8:15." He said.

Rydel's eyes went wide. "We're late!" She yelled before jumping up and running to her suitcase and picking it up. "No we're not. The plane leaves at 9." Rocky said. Rydel felt relieved. She sighed of relief. "Then I'm gonna change in the bathroom." Rydel said before turning and walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

Ratliff was still worried about Rydel but managed to mask his feelings. Ross still remembers about last night but hasn't said anything about it. He turned to Ratliff. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked Ratliff. Ratliff looked confused a bit but said "Sure.." They both walked out of their room and into the other room and shut the door behind them.

"Ratliff.. Do you.. Have a crush on anyone in the band?" Ross asked. Ratliff cocked his head in confusion. "Why are you as-" Ratliff asked. He cut himself off. His eyes went wide. "I know what this is about.." Ratliff said. Ross felt relieved. He put his hand on his chest. "Phew! I'm so glad! I thought I'd have to spell it out." Ross said relieved. Ratliff put his hand on Ross's shoulder. Ross gave him a confused look but kept quiet.

"Listen, Ross.. I know the fans want us together but.. I'm not gay.." Ratliff said carefully. Ross's face turned a pale green as he puffed up his cheeks. He backed away from Ratliff and put his hand over his mouth. He slowly swallowed so he wouldn't vomit everywhere. "_Ew! Nooo!_" Ross yelled. "I didn't mean _us!_" Ross protested. Ratliff felt relieved and put his hand on his chest. "Good! I didn't want things to get really awkward!" Ratliff said relieved. Ratliff's relieved face then turned confused. "If you weren't talking about us, who were you talking about?" Ratliff asked confused.

Ross sighed. "Ratliff, I saw you cover Rydel last night." Ross admitted. Ratliff blushed a bit. "You saw that?" He asked. Ross nodded. "And I've noticed that ever since Rydel started behaving weirdly, you were worried sick about her." Ross added. "Well, she's one of my best friends." Ratliff said. "Ratliff, back when you were dating Kelly, you never showed this much attention to her." Ross said.

"I think.. You might be developing feelings for Rydel." Ross said. "_What?!_" Ratliff asked. "Me and _Rydel?!_" He asked even more shocked. Ross nodded. Ratliff mulled over everything that's taken place since the meet and greet the afternoon before. His eyes went wide and he looked up at Ross. "Oh my God.. I.. Like Rydel.." He said softly. Ross smiled, knowing one person hasn't denied their feelings. What he didn't know, _yet_, was that Rydel came to the conclusion at 3 AM that she's in love with Ratliff.

* * *

"Ross?" Rydel asked softly since she was sitting right next to him on the plane. Ross took of his yellow Dr. Dre Beats headphones and looked at his sister. "Yeah?" He asked. Rydel looked over to her other side to see that Ratliff had his green Dr. Dre Beats headphones in and had his music up loud. She turned to Ross. "I.. Do like Ratliff.." She said softly, in case anyone else was listening. Ross's eyes went wide and he gave her a big, open mouth smile. "When did you realize?" Ross asked.

"Last night." Rydel admitted. "I had a dream about me and Ratliff." Rydel explained. Ross, who is a sucker for romance, fan-girled a bit and said "Awwwww!" Rydel blushed.

* * *

An hour had gone by and they weren't landing for another 6 hours. Rydel, who didn't get a great night's sleep, let out a yawn. Ross heard her and looked over at her. "Rydel, maybe you should get some sleep." Ross suggested. Rydel nodded. "Yeah.." She mumbled. She let out another yawn and started rambling on as she yawned. She usually did that when she was over-tired. "Maybe.. I should.. Get some.." She said sleepily as she was yawning. Her eyes were closing as she finished her sentence. "Sleep.." As soon as the end of that word rolled off of her tongue, she was sound asleep.

Her head was leaning towards her left. Her body leaned that way also and she rested her tired head on Ratliff's shoulder. Ratliff still had his headphones in and felt something, or someone tap his shoulder. "Hmm?" Ratliff mumbled as he took off his headphones. He glanced over and saw Rydel asleep on his shoulder. He smiled and gently put his arm around her and shut off his iPod. Ross looked over and smiled at the two lovebirds.

* * *

The gang has been back in L.A. for a week. They're currently at the recording studio laying down some tracks for the album. Rydel and Ratliff have both hid their feeling toward each other very convincingly. Rocky was currently in the booth recording his vocals for a song. Rocky was the last person to record for the day so the others were just hanging out.

Rydel couldn't contain her feelings for Ratliff anymore. She went around the studio in search of him. She checked every hallway possible and when she finally found him, what she saw, shattered her heart like glass..

**CLIFFHANGER! :D Please review this story. I think this is one of my best and I wanna know what you all think of it :)**


	4. The Truth, The Kiss & The One to Ruin It

**I kinda left you guys at a cliffhanger, didn't I? Well.. Here you go.. :)**

What Rydel had just seen, shattered her heart like glass.

_Ratliff.._

_and Kelly.._

_Kissing.._

_But they broke up before we left for Paris and London!_ Rydel thought. Tears were welling up in her eyes as she witnessed this first-hand. Ross was walking by and saw the look on Rydel's face. He knew his big sister wasn't happy. "Rydel, what's wrong?" He asked. He looked over to see if he could see what Rydel is upset about. It didn't take long for him to find it..

As soon as he saw them, a wave of rage filled up in his body. _How could he?! He said last week he liked Rydel!_ Ross thought bitterly. He was so pissed off that it was a miracle he didn't pound Ratliff's face in yet. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Rydel run off with tears in her eyes. "Rydel!" Ross yelled as he ran after her.

Ratliff pulled away from Kelly. "What the hell?!" He asked angrily. "What do you mean?" Kelly asked innocently. "You just waltzed on in here and said we were back together _without_ MY input and kissed me!" Ratliff spat angrily. "I don't _want_ to be your boyfriend! I don't _like_ you anymore! I'm _OVER YOU!_" He spat angrily before storming off in anger. Kelly just smiled evily and left.

* * *

Ross finally caught up to Rydel and turned her to face him. "Rydel.. It's all okay." Ross tried to assure her. She knew he wasn't really sure but was hiding it from her. Tears started falling from her eyes faster and she was now sobbing. That sight officially broke Ross's heart. He gently pulled her into a hug and she hugged back. It was obvious that one hug wouldn't make her fully happy but it sure did help her. She started sobbing into Ross's chest and Ross just let her, knowing this is all part of heartbreak.

Just then, the rest of the band found Ross and Rydel. They all saw Rydel sobbing into Ross's chest and their hearts sank. "Rydel, are you okay?" Rocky asked nervously as he gently rubbed her back. Rydel was too busy choking on her heart-wrenching sobs to reply to her brother. Rocky looked up at Ross and mouthed to Ross "What happened?" Ross just shook his head sadly. Rocky nodded, knowing that meant that it wasn't a good subject to be on.

Ratliff, who didn't see her or Ross when the incident happened, wanted to break down on the spot. When he looked at Rydel with a sad expression on his face, he glanced at Ross who was just giving him a death glare. Ratliff looked at him confused but shook it off.

* * *

Rydel has been heartbroken for 2 days now. Ross still wants to rip Ratliff's head off because he still doesn't know what really happened. "Ross, can I talk to you?" Ratliff asked. Ross was just furious but realized that this could be where Ratliff says he was wrong and wants him to help him apologize to Rydel. "Sure." Ross said bitterly as he gritted his teeth.

Ross and Ratliff sat down on Ross's bed in he and Ryland's bedroom. "Why are you so pissed off at me? What did I do wrong?" He asked. Ross's face fully dropped. He couldn't _BELIEVE_ that Ratliff didn't know what he did wrong. Because of him, his sister is crying her eyes out as we speak. "Really?!" Ross started. "Last week you said you liked Rydel and 2 days ago, you're kissing your piece of shit ex girlfriend!" Ross basically screamed.

Ratliff looked confused. "Why would I k-" He then realized. He had tuned out the fact that Kelly forcibly kissed him at the studio and he just realized that Ross had seen it. His eyes widened. "Ross, that wasn't what it looked like! Trust me!" Ratliff pleaded. Ross wanted to beat the shit out of him right then and there but when he looked Ratliff in the eyes, he saw that Ratliff wasn't lying.

His scowl softened and Ross turned serious. He sighed. "Fine.. Talk." Ross said. Ratliff sighed of relief. "Okay.. So.. It all started at the studio."

* * *

_Ratliff had just left the men's room at the studio while Rocky was recording his vocals for one of the songs. He was about to join the gang when he felt an arm yank him around. When Ratliff saw who it was, he wanted to bitch slap her. "What do you want Kelly?" He asked annoyed. "Ellie!" Kelly said happily before tightly embracing him._

_Ratliff didn't hug back. "What the hell is going on?" He asked before pushing her off of him. "Don't be silly, honey." She said. "Umm, we're not together anymore, remember? You cheated on me with that male model!" Ratliff spat coldly. "That was the past, this is now.. Now come here!" She said before getting closer to him. "You listen here, we'll NEVER be t-" Ratliff was cut off by Kelly forcing him into the worst kiss of his life._

* * *

"And that's what happened.." Ratliff finished. Ross looked Ratliff in the eye to make sure he wasn't lying. It was all true. Ross's eyes widened. "Ratliff, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you!" Ross said. "It's okay. It looked kinda bad.." Ratliff said as he scratched the back of his neck. "I love Rydel with all my heart." Ratliff admitted. Ross then smiled from ear to ear. He knew now that Ratliff was still 100 percent in love with Rydel. "Awww!" Ross fan-girled. Ratliff rolled his eyes jokingly as a faint blush came to his cheeks.

Something occurred to Ratliff. Ross had been acting angry since the unfortunate kiss between him and Kelly. That was also the same time that Rydel had been heart-broken. His eyes widened. "Ross?" Ratliff asked nervously. Ross caught on to his nervousness. "What's wrong?" Ross asked. "Was Kelly kissing me the reason that Rydel has been crying?" Ratliff asked. Ross's eyes went wide. He didn't know what to say. He wanted Ratliff to ask her out without him knowing that she likes him back and he didn't want to lie to Ratliff. He had to choose one.

He gulped. "Yes.." Ross said softly. Ratliff felt a swarm of guilt as soon as that word rolled off of Ross's tongue. "Man.." Ratliff said as he buried his face in his hands. "I'm such an asshole!" "Ratliff, you're NOT an asshole." Ross comforted. Ratliff took his head out of his hands and looked at Ross. "How do I tell Rydel how I really feel?" Ratliff asked desperately. An idea then popped into Ross's brain. "I know!" Ross yelled. Ratliff's eyes widened. "What is it?!" Ratliff asked. "Here it is.." Ross said. "You're gonna..."

* * *

Well two weeks has passed and Rydel is still sad, but not as sad as before. The only problem is, Rydel won't talk to Ratliff.. That right there, has been slowly but surely breaking his heart. He even silently cried himself to sleep one night. And the night after that, he didn't sleep at all. He came in the next day to record his vocals and it took about 30 takes for him to get it right since he was so tired. Ross is the only one who knew how much Rydel's silence was silently killing Ratliff.

They had just been informed that they were gonna have a concert at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. They were currently at the center getting ready. Ratliff didn't sleep at all the night before, yet again. He had dark, grey circles under his red eyes. He even had a little bit of stubble from not shaving. Ross hadn't seen him yet since Ratliff, shockingly managed to drive himself to the stadium from the hotel. Ratliff got his own hotel room because he knew that if anyone who wasn't Rydel would be on him to sleep and eat. That was another thing Ratliff hasn't been doing.

The reason this is hurting him so much is that the day after Ross figured out the truth, Rydel said right before a band rehearsal that he was a deadbeat and that she wished they never met. That, is what broke his heart the most. She also said that the only time they'd talk, was band business only. Like if he noticed that her keyboard wasn't loud enough or that he wasn't on rhythm.

Ratliff was currently in his dressing room. He was surprised that everyone had their own dressing room. He was the first one there since he left early so he wouldn't have to face Rydel's glares. He sat down in the chair in front of his mirror. He stared at himself.

He just wanted to know when this haunting silence was gonna end. Just then his door opened to reveal Ross. Ratliff turned to him. Ross took one look at Ratliff before his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "Ratliff.." Ross said in a shocked tone before taking him by the wrist and sitting him down on the couch next to him.

"Ratliff, when was the last time you slept?" Ross asked nervously. Ratliff had to actually _think_ to answer this. "Uhh.. 3 days." Ratliff answered before a yawn escaped from him. Ross sighed. "Ratliff, you gotta get some sleep." Ross warned. "This isn't good for you." Ross continued. Ratliff's stomach then growled loudly. Ross's eyes widened even more, knowing Ratliff hasn't eaten either. He stood up and ran to the snack table and grabbed a plate, filling it up with tons of food. He grabbed a tall water bottle before running back to Ratliff's dressing room and sitting beside him.

"You need to eat something!" Ross said in a panicked tone. Ratliff sighed. "I'm not hungry.." Ratliff lied. Ross knew he was lying. "Liar! Eat! Now!" Ross ordered. Ratliff's eyes went wide and he picked up his fork and started picking at his salad. Ross's stressful face then turned relieved as Ratliff continued to eat.

15 minutes have gone by and Ratliff had finished everything. He put the plate down on the table and yawned. Ross sighed. "Dude, get some rest. I'll wake you up when we have to go out for the meet and greet." Ross said. Ratliff thought for a moment and sighed. "Fine, if it'll make you feel better, I'll take a nap." Ratliff said. Ross stood up so Ratliff could lay down. Ratliff did just that. "Thanks Ratliff.. I just got worried. No offense, but you look paler than a white sheet.." Ross said. Ratliff playfully rolled his eyes and chuckled. He closed his eyes and leaned his tired head against the soft pillow.

Within seconds, Ratliff was asleep. Ross saw a blanket draped over the chair and he picked it up and put it over Ratliff before turning the lights off and leaving quietly. Stormie saw Ross an how careful he was leaving Ratliff's room. She went up to him. "Ross, what are you doing?" She asked confused. Ross knew he couldn't lie to his mom so he sighed before pulling her aside. "Okay mom. You can't tell anyone this!" Ross said. Her confused face turned worried. "What's going on?" Stormie asked. Ross made sure nobody else was around, especially Rydel.

Once he was sure that the coast was clear. He turned to his anxious mother. "Okay, well.. Ratliff has been kinda.. Depressed.." Ross started. Stormie's eyes widened and she gasped. Ross gulped. "Well.. He wasn't sleeping or eating and I got him to eat and then to sleep so I didn't wanna wake him up." Ross said. Stormie's heart sank. She always felt like Ratliff was another son. Ross saw her facial expression and he started panicking. "I _knew_ I should've kept my moth shut." Ross said before sighing. "No, I'm glad you told me." Stormie assured him. "Should we cancel the show?" Stormie asked.

"No!" Ross said. "Why not?" Stormie asked. "Two reasons.." Ross said. "One: It'd be too late to cancel now. And, two: Ratliff wouldn't forgive himself if he knew that he was the reason that we canceled a show." Ross continued. Stormie nodded in agreement. "We just have to put the least amount of stress on him." Ross said. "Okay." Stormie said. "Just remember.. _Don't_ tell anyone." Ross warned. "Got it." Stormie said before walking off.

* * *

It's been two hours and the band was called to go onstage for the V.I.P. Meet and Greet. Ross quickly sneaked off to Ratliff's room. He opened the door and turned on the light to reveal Ratliff still sleeping. But it was obvious that he was having a nightmare. Ross went over to him and knelt beside him. He was trying to shake him awake so his nightmare would end but Ratliff wasn't waking up.

He was breathing heavily and shaking his head. "I'm sorry Rydel.." He kept saying over and over. Ross sighed. "Ratliff, wake up." Ross said as he continued to shake him. It wasn't working. Ratliff's nightmare was getting worse. His breathing was getting heavier.

He finally jolted awake and yelled "Rydel!" He looked around and rubbed his eyes, realizing that he was only dreaming. He sighed of relief. "Are you okay?" Ross asked. Ratliff nodded. "Yeah.." He said before fixing his hair. "Well you look a little better now that you've had a nap.." Ross said, looking on a bright side. Ratliff nodded. "We gotta go?" Ratliff asked before yawning. Ross nodded. "Yup." He said. Ratliff stood up and they left for the stage together.

* * *

It was now the middle of the concert. They had just finished playing "Here Comes Forever". As the crowd was giving them a tremendous applause, Ratliff looked over at Ross. Ross nodded. Riker and Rocky saw what they were doing and were totally confused. Ratliff shyly stood up and slid the mic off of the stand. He made his way to center stage.

"Umm.. Hey guys! I'm Ratliff." He said nervously to get started. The crowd started screaming and applauding. He also heard a couple of people shout stuff like "Go Ratliff!" or "Yeah Ratliff!". "Well.. Um.. Rydel, can you come over here?" He asked nervously as he turned to Rydel. Rydel wanted to snap his neck when he said that. She didn't want the fans to think anything so she did what Ratlff asked. "What the hell do you want?" She whispered to him bitterly when the microphone wasn't near their mouths.

He sighed before putting the microphone back up to speak into it. "Look, Rydel.." He started before fully turning his body towards her. "I'm sorry about the kiss.. I didn't even want it to happen. She means_ nothing_ to me anymore!" He admitted. "She kissed me.." He said softly. Rydel's eyes widened. She knew that Ratliff was telling the truth.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She felt a ton of guilt for saying all those rude things she said to him. She gently took the microphone from Ratliff so she could speak into it. "Ratliff, I'm so sorry for all the things I said. I didn't mean it.. I was just.." She couldn't say it. Ratliff didn't take the microphone out of her hand. He gently put his hand on it and pulled it toward him and she kept her hand on it. "You were just.. What?" He asked confused.

He let go of the mic and Rydel brought it to her mouth to speak. "I was just jealous!" She admitted. Ratliff's eyes widened. Along with everyone else but Rydel and Ross. Ratliff took the mic gently. "Rydel.. I.." He started.

The crowd was waiting in anticipation for what Ratliff had to say. Rydel was waiting more anxiously than anyone else. "I love you!" Ratliff admitted. Rydel gasped. "Rydel.. Will you go out with me?" Ratliff asked as he took her hand. Rydel smiled widely as she took the mic. "Yes!" She said into it. Ross smiled as he went up to them and took the mic from Rydel and put it back on Ratliff's stand.

Ratliff did something he's been wanting to do since he realized his feelings for her. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers. Rydel melted into her first kiss. The crowd started cheering like crazy. Ratliff wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Rydel wrapped her arms around his neck.

Ross was smiling like an idiot. Stormie and Mark were very proud that Rydel was with someone who they knew was gonna treat her right. Ryland, who was video taping because he was gonna put the song they were originally about to sing on "R5 TV" and decided to keep going anyway because he knew this was gonna be the best "R5 TV" yet! Rocky was surprised yet happy for them. And Riker.. Had the same face that Rydel had to that girl in London when she asked about Rosslington.

Riker angrily took his bass off of him and put it on the stand. He charged over to the new couple and pulled Ratliff off of his baby sister and forcibly turned Ratliff to face him. He raised his right fist and punched Ratliff in the eye. Ratliff fell towards the audience and landed on the cold stage floor. The crowd, along with everyone but Riker gasped.

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" Riker screamed. That was the last thing Ratliff heard before he blacked out. Everyone gasped again. Riker stormed off the stage. "Ratliff!" Rydel cried before kneeling beside him. Ryland shut off the camera and ran out at his side. Ross and Rocky quickly took off their guitars and put them on their stands. Rocky ran to Ratliff's side and Ross angrily followed Riker to give him some choice words.

**BEHOLD! Another CLIFFHANGER! :D I'm evil.. I know.. Stay tuned :)**


	5. Riker's Guilt and He's Okay

**I probably out you all in a state of shock from the last chapter.. Sorry.. But I LIVE for love stories with drama! Okay.. I'll shut up.. **

Ross angrily followed the sound of Riker's stomping feet.

_Why the hell would he do that?! If only he knew how weak Ratliff was already._ Ross thought. He finally caught up to Riker when he angrily walked into his dressing room. Riker slammed his door shut but Ross caught it just in time. He barged in furiously and slammed Riker's door shut and gave Riker the ultimate death glare.

"What the hell was that?!" Ross screamed. Riker stood up and turned to him angrily. "Did you _NOT_ see him kiss her?!" Riker screamed. Ross then got furious. "Yes I _DID_ see him kiss her! And quite frankly, I think this is GOOD for not only him but her too!" Ross defended. That right there, for Riker, felt like a hard slap in the face. Riker angrily grabbed Ross by his shirt and forcibly pinned him to the wall. Ross grimaced in pain.

"Why?! Why is that such a good thing?!" Riker asked demandingly. Ross was in a great deal of pain from Riker's angry fists against his pecks as Riker gripped his shirt tighter and his instincts told him to back up but that meant his back pushing against the wall harder, which is what was happening. Every second that Ross wasn't responding to Riker's question, Riker gripped Ross's shirt collar tighter.

Before long, Ross was chocking from his collar. "Riker.. You're choking.. Me.. Can't... Breathe.." Ross chocked. His face was beginning to turn a reddish-purple color. Ross's eyes rolled back. Riker's eyes went wide and let go of his brother's shirt. Ross fell to his knees as he desperately gasped for air.

Ross finally managed to catch his breath and stood up to glare at Riker. "Why did you do that?!" Ross asked furiously. As Riker looked directly into Ross's angry eyes, he felt the numbing pain of guilt go down his spine. He gulped and sunk down onto the couch in his dressing room. Ross was confused but sat next to him.

Ross now knew he had to be more delicate in this situation. "I just wanna know why you hurt him. Before 5 minutes ago, you guys were like best friends." Ross said softly. Riker sighed. A tear escaped from his eye. This, officially scared Ross. Ross has NEVER seen Riker cry before. Riker wiped it away quickly. "I'm just afraid.." Riker admitted softly. "A-Afraid of what?" Ross asked nervously. "To let my baby sister grow up.." Riker admitted.

Ross gently comforted his brother. "This is all new for me.. She's never had a boyfriend before. I just wanna make sure she's safe." Riker said. Ross nodded, now understanding Riker's behavior.

Ross then thought about Ratliff. How weak he was, and that he was currently lying unconscious on the cold stage floor. His eyes widened. Riker saw Ross's face. "What's the matter?" Riker asked nervously. "Ratliff.." Ross said softly. "What do you mean?" Riker asked, now getting nervous. Ross jumped up and ran out to see if Ratliff was gonna be okay. Riker followed him but stopped when Ross ran onstage and knelt beside Ratliff.

Ratliff was even paler than he was before Ross made him eat and sleep. Rydel was in too big of a state of shock to do or say anything. The only movement that Ratliff was doing was his chest slowly rising and falling. Rocky was trying his best to get Ratliff to wake up but it wasn't working.

Rydel finally managed to move. Tears immediately began flowing from her eyes. She was kneeling in between Rocky and Ryland. They both gently wrapped their arms around her. Rocky gently kissed her head. The curtain was blocking them from the audience and the security told them all to go home. The paramedics came after Stormie had called them. They lifted Ratliff up and loaded him onto the ambulance. They let Rydel go on with him and they drove off to the hospital.

Riker felt so much guilt. He felt bad for hurting Ratliff. He just wanted to take it all back.

* * *

It's now been an hour and Ratliff still hasn't woken up yet. Everyone was at the hospital but Riker. Riker knew he would get yelled at by everyone except Ross. He was sitting in his car in the parking lot of the stadium for about 45 minutes before driving back to the hotel. Once he shut the door to his hotel room, he turned and slid down his door crying silently. _Why did I do that to him? He never did anything wrong._ Riker thought.

Riker heard his cell phone chime. He fished it out of his pocket as tears continued to flow out of his eyes. He unlocked it and found out it was his twitter He tapped the app on his iPhone and what he found, killed him inside.

_Riker Lynch punches band mate Ellington Ratliff in the face at a Massachusetts concert after Ratliff kissed Rydel!_

It even slowed a video of the punch. Then the uploader played the clip back and played it again in slow motion. Riker started crying even harder now. He threw his phone across the room and it landed on a carpet. Riker laid down and turned over to put his head down and sob. "I-I'm sorry R-R-Ratliff!" Riker chocked. Little did he know, Stormie was eavesdropping and heard everything.

She slowly opened the door and looked over at her broken son. She sat beside him and helped him sit up. He looked at his mother. "A-Aren't you mad at me?" Riker said as he continued to cry. "No, I'm not mad you sweetheart." She said as she pulled him into a hug. "I f-feel terrible! I h-hurt R-Ratliff!" Riker sobbed. "It's okay.." His mom said comfortingly. They just sat there. Stormie cradling her sobbing son.

* * *

Ratliff's eyelids were starting to move. Rydel gasped. "Guys! He's waking up!" She said hopefully. Their attention was immediately focused on Ratliff. Rydel gently grabbed Ratliff's hand and intertwined her fingers with his. Ratliff's eyes slowly fluttered open and he was blinded by the bright light above him. Ratliff squinted so he would be able to see. He slowly managed to sit up.

"What happened?" Ratliff asked weakly. "Riker punched you in the eye and you blacked out." Rocky explained without going into too much detail. Ratliff's eyes widened. Now he knows that kissing Rydel was real and not the best dream ever. He looked over at Rydel and saw that the beautiful chocolate brown eyes he loves so much were now puffy and full of tears. He saw another tear escape from her eye and he gently brushed it away with his thumb. "It's okay." Ratliff assured softly. Rydel smiled at how caring Ratliff is.

The doctor then came in. He looked up from his clipboard and saw Ratliff awake. "Good, he's awake." He said. "Is he okay to go home?" Rydel asked hopefully. The doctor nodded. "Yes. He just has a mild concussion from hitting his head on the stage so be sure to give him these pills if he gets a headache." The doctor explained as he handed Mark the bottle.

Rydel looked at Ratliff's eye that is now swollen and bruised. She frowned. "When we get back to the hotel, I'll get you some ice for your eye." Rydel said. "Thank you." Ratliff said. "No problem." The doctor then left and the gang piled up and drove back to the hotel.

**I know.. I took forever and the end sucked.. I'm sorry. I've been doing camp for the past 2 weeks at Applause and it kinda filled up my schedule. Stay tuned for the next episode :) And please review :)**


	6. Apologizing

Well, two days have gone by now. Ratliff is home but his concussion makes him dizzy frequently and his head hurts so he's been in bed resting. That and he's afraid that if he runs into Riker, he'll get punched again. Everyone but Ross and Stormie are furious at Riker. Rydel wants to snap his neck every time she sees his face. Riker decided that enough was enough.. He was walking in the park when he came to the conclusion that he needed to make amends with Ratliff.

He then started walking down the streets nervously until he approached Ratliff's house. Once he started walking up Ratliff's driveway, he felt nerves bubbling up in his stomach.

_Oh God, how am I gonna do this?_ Riker thought to himself. He slowly walked up the porch stairs and approached the door even slower. His hands were shaking nervously as beads of sweat began to fall from his face.

_Come on dude, just knock on the door!_ Riker thought to himself. He managed to lift his arm up and loosely clench his hand into a fist. He extended his arm to the door and knocked on it gently, but hard enough to be heard. After waiting for about 20 seconds, he figured nobody was home and sighed before turning around and beginning to walk down Ratliff's porch. He stopped in his tracks when he heard the door open. He turned to find Ratliff's mother at the door.

"H-Hi Mrs. Ratliff," Riker stuttered nervously before approaching the front door again. She looked at him angrily since he was the one who punched her son in the face. "What do you want?" She spat coldly. Riker felt a numbing chill go down his spine as she spat out those words. He grimaced of guilt and goosebumps formed on his arms when the chill of guilt hit him.

"I-Is Ratliff home?" Riker stuttered, even more nervous then before. "Why? Want to give him another concussion?" She spat even icier than before. Riker's whole body went numb. Since everyone was mad at him, they didn't bother to tell him that Ratliff had a concussion. Even though Ross and Stormie aren't mad at him, they didn't tell him because they knew how badly Riker felt already.

"H-He.. He had a.. C-Concussion?" Riker managed to say as he held back tears, which caused his voice to sound shaky. Mrs. Ratliff looked at Riker like he had 5 heads. She then realized the reason for Riker's nervous reaction. "Wait, you didn't know he got a concussion, did you?" She asked with a little bit of warmth. Riker shook his head slowly. Mrs. Ratliff then realized that Riker wasn't here to hurt Ratliff again. "He's in his bedroom. Come on in," she said as she moved away from the doorway to let Riker come in.

Riker sighed a sigh of relief, now knowing one less person doesn't wanna pummel his face in. He nervously walked into Ratliff's house.

* * *

Ratliff was laying down in his bed peacefully dreaming. Rydel was with him, but she left about 30 minutes ago to pick up some stuff at the grocery store for Ratliff. As soon as Rydel left, Ratliff was out like a light. Mrs. Ratliff told Riker to wait at the middle of the staircase until he was told to come in. Mrs. Ratliff quietly walked up the rest of the staircase. Ratliff, who was beginning to awaken, heard his mother's footsteps coming up the stairs. He tossed and turned as sleep slipped away from him.

Mrs. Ratliff slowly and quietly entered Ratliff's room and Ratliff let out a faint groan, intending that he was waking up. Mrs. Ratliff stopped in her tracks and stared at her son. Ratliff slowly opened his eyes and sat up. "Hey mom.." He said sleepily. "Hey.." She said as she sat down at his bedside.

Ratliff knew immediately that his mother was hiding something. "What's wrong?" Ratliff asked. "You have a visitor." She said softly. Ratliff was confused. _Why didn't she just say? I don't mind that someone wants to see me._ He thought to himself. It clicked like a seat belt being buckled.

"Is it Riker?" He asked. She nodded. Ratliff gulped. Part of him is telling him to let Riker in and talk through whatever Riker was here for and another part wants to beg and plead to have her kick him out. He sighed, knowing what he had to do. "Let him in.." He said softly. His mother nodded before standing up and walking over to the doorway so Riker could hear her. "Come on in." She said, now as warm as she always is.

Riker sighed of relief, knowing that he was welcomed in again. He made his way up the stairs and into Ratliff's room as Ratliff's mother left. As soon as Riker took one glance at Ratliff, he felt like his heart just got sucker punched.

Ratliff's eye was black and swollen shut and he was still a bit pale from the concussion.

Riker's face turned as white as a sheet. "O-Oh my God.. R-Ratliff.. I-I.." Riker started as he barely managed to shut Ratliff's door. He knew that this was gonna end in a way that he would want to be kept private. "I'm so sorry.." Riker said softly. That's all Riker could say. Ratliff looked Riker in the eyes and saw a face of Riker that was very unfamiliar.

Every time Ratliff saw Riker, he was the eldest man-child of the group. Smiling... Laughing... _Happy... _It's almost as if this Riker, or better yet, stranger had taken Riker's facial features but had the complete opposite personality. This Riker was alone... Guilty.. _Depressed..._ He even had _tears_ in his eyes! Riker chocked on a sob that was aching to get out. Ratliff saw the tears trying to find a way to escape from Riker's eyes and Riker struggling harder and harder by the second to keep them in. Ratliff just full out started crying. He hasn't shown his emotions since the fight and now they're just pouring out.

Riker couldn't take it anymore. He fell to his knees and started bawling his eyes out harder than ever. "I-I-I don't now what came over me-e-e!" Riker sobbed. Ratliff knew as soon as Riker stepped foot into his room that Riker felt extremely guilty. Ratliff, who was still bawling his eyes out managed to say "I-It's okay.. I f-forgive y-you." That right there, lifted Riker's spirits in an instant, which was all he wanted. Ratliff and Riker shared a heartfelt hug and just cried.

* * *

**I know it's short but I felt like I needed to update this chapter. Hope you all liked it!**

**I feel like I don't tell you guys anything about my theater life.. I thought I'd tell you guys that at my theater group, I just finished the audition process for "Annie", and I found out on Friday that I'm playing Ms. Hannigan :D YAY! I'm so excited! I did this play when I was like 11 and I had to double parts because they were so small. This really shows me how much my acting has improved since I started at age 10.**

**Anyway, please review and check out my other stories :D**


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